The Rich Tradition of Republicanism

Abstract

Republicanism has a rich history - rich being the operative word. If we rake the alpha and omega of the republican tradition, its origin in ancient Rome, and its hegemonic present exemplar, the United States, it is evident that both were set up by rich magnates in direct opposition to the 'common herd' of the general population. The Roman republic ended in disaster and tyranny, while the wealth elites of the United States continue to exploit its republican constitution in ever narrowing circles of the powerful and the ever-widening obscenity of their wealth. The tide of literature that emerged during the campaign for an Australian republic in the 1990s was largely innocent of an international debate on the nature of republican history.